


The Death of the Quiet Room

by I May Age Regress (shnuffeluv)



Series: Gibbs' Family [54]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Fighting, Fix-It of Sorts, Fornell should Shut Up, Gen, Gibbs is...well...you can fill in the blank, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, McGee is sarcastic, Sequel, and we all know how well that goes over, seriously though fill in that blank however you want depending on your perception of events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-11 21:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/I%20May%20Age%20Regress
Summary: Or, the sequel I forgot to write for the longest time and then forgot to finish. But it's here now! Won't make sense if you haven't readThe Quiet Roombefore this, but it's pretty much what it says on the tin.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, it's the moment everyone has been waiting for! Sorry this took so long to get up, I've been in a bit of a depressed state lately. Hopefully I'll feel better soon, eh? More content again!

As it turned out, Tony and Timmy _were_ good and didn't fight with each other for a whole week after the whole incident with the Quiet Room. Though it wasn't so much because of the fact that they were getting along. Whenever Tony got mad at Timmy, he would look around to make sure Papa wasn't nearby before hissing angrily at Timmy why the younger boy was right and Timmy was wrong, and Timmy did much the same. Once the fear of the storm had passed, the boys had a discussion about what had happened, and agreed that they never wished it on anyone, and didn't want to go through it again. So Timmy drew up a pact with crayon and printer paper that Tony signed, agreeing to save their problems for a time when the Quiet Room was not an option for punishment.

Most of the time those arguments came out in sparring at work. The two agents would go down to the gym every day they could, swinging at each other and not holding anything back. McGee had even caught Ziva wincing at a particularly vicious left hook he had landed on DiNozzo. DiNozzo, of course, swung back just as hard and were it not for the head gear he was wearing, McGee was sure he would be seeing stars. As it was, his head was now killing him. "What was that one for?!" he asked indignantly.

"For stealing my truck last week," DiNozzo said simply. "I was playing with it."

McGee scowled but said nothing, and they continued to spar for a few minutes, before deciding they had done enough getting even for one day. It was when they were changing into their work clothes that Gibbs walked into the locker room, and leaned against the door. "You two have been coming down here a lot," he said.

McGee looked at DiNozzo, and DiNozzo shot a glance back. They didn't think Gibbs would have a problem with it, and hadn't come up with a cover. "That a crime, boss?" DiNozzo asked, turning to look at Gibbs. "I needed to blow of steam lately in a way that has more hitting than napping. Tim has agreed to be my McPunching Bag."

"That is _not_  what we agreed to," McGee said, glaring at Tony.

Gibbs looked between them. "You're lying," he said simply. No glare, no squint. Just a neutral face and a simple fact.

McGee shrugged and picked up the lie from Tony. "I, for one, wanted to work on my right hook. Tony's been helping me with that. Why, I'm not sure. Apparently so he can knock my lights out."

Gibbs continued his impassive face and McGee could feel himself getting antsy. He finished changing but didn't move toward the door, and the immovable object in front of it. DiNozzo, however, was an unstoppable force, and finished changing, walked up to the door, and refused to stop until he was inches away from Gibbs, even then, he just bounced on his toes instead of moving forward. "Boss, you know if you want us to get back to work, you kinda have to move."

McGee's eyes widened. He didn't think he'd ever used to DiNozzo being blunt with the boss. It was one thing that Timmy did as well that he couldn't risk doing as an adult. He didn't want Gibbs to think that he didn't respect him.

"I don't want you to get back to work, I want answers," Gibbs said, gaze shifting from DiNozzo to McGee.

McGee did his best not to visibly swallow. He didn't like the way that Gibbs was looking at him, _at all_. Like he had done something wrong. Like he was going to be locked in that room again, _alone_  this time. The only thing that kept Timmy from self-destructing last time was Tony, and if McGee were to be in there alone, whether adult or little, he probably wouldn't make it through to the end of an hour. "DiNozzo and I had an argument," McGee said. Which was true. "We decided to take it down here, so if things got physical we could at least be relatively safe."

"Doesn't explain your previous visits," Gibbs said.

McGee fought back his panic. Not good, not good, _not good_. "It's not illegal to practice down here, boss," he said, against his better judgement.

As soon as Gibbs showed a shred of interest at that statement, McGee knew he was done for. He had gone on the defensive, rather than merely deflecting. He was in deep trouble now, because Gibbs had a trail to follow. "Not illegal, no," Gibbs said. "But it looks like you're shirking your duties upstairs."

McGee looked down and away at that statement. Maybe they were, a little bit. Shirking away from dealing with each other without a way to talk through it in public, without a way to fight over it in private anymore. And if Gibbs thought he was just lazy, well, then, he wouldn't correct the man if it meant DiNozzo was out of the line of fire a little less.

"You've dragged DiNozzo down here at least once every other day to, what, exactly? Get out of work you think you're too good for?" Gibbs growled.

McGee set his jaw. Papa investigated what was wrong to fix it, while Gibbs investigated what was wrong to throw the problem to the side where it couldn't cause any more damage. He had learned that quickly enough. And now he was going to use it to his advantage. He looked Gibbs dead in the eye, ignoring DiNozzo giving him a warning glance. "Well, Abby can do most of it, anyway. It's not like _she_  has anything better to do," he quipped.

Gibbs looked like he was going to kill McGee, and the younger man took half a step back. He knew where the back exit was, and if he was lucky he could make it before Gibbs realized where he was going. DiNozzo was looking between the two of them, trying to gauge the severity of the situation. "Uh, okay, let's take a deep breath, everyone, all right? And Probie, please, don't lie about why we came down here next time, all right?"

"Who's lying?" McGee asked. "You don't know what I'm thinking! You don't know how much of everything I can take! You don't know _me_!" Okay, maybe he wasn't just talking to DiNozzo there. But his point stood for both of the men with him in the room.

Gibbs faltered at McGee's statement, and McGee watched the man closely for any signs of Papa Gibbs coming out. If he wasn't careful, he might wind up in that room rather than fired or something more tolerable. DiNozzo backed out of Gibbs' path as he took a step forward. McGee took another step back. "Tim, what are you talking about?"

McGee steeled himself. There was nothing he wanted more than to just _say_  what was wrong like a _rational human being_ , but nobody here was rational. It was all gut feelings and reactions and no one had time for someone who liked to think things through and needed time to approach topics with logic, and who got scared or emotional from the smallest things. And he'd get in trouble either way, so he may as well preserve the idea that if he had gone the logical route, things might have gone differently. "Nothing important at all," he said, shrugging.

"Sounded important to me," Gibbs said, taking another step forward.

McGee took two steps back. "You know, boss, seeing patterns where there are none can be a sign of insanity. You might need to take a break from the job for a bit," he snarked, turning tail and literally _sprinting_  out of the room. He made it as far as the back exit into the hall before Gibbs snatched him by the collar, causing his head to stop moving forward with the rest of his body, and his legs to fly out from under him.

Gibbs didn't say anything, even while McGee was trying to get over the fact of _dead, so dead, Gibbs is gonna kill me he probably expected me to run this time_ , so the only sound in the hallway was heavy panting from Gibbs and slight retching from McGee. DiNozzo didn't come bursting out of the exit to the locker room and McGee was slightly thankful that he at least knew when not to throw fuel on the fire. "You and I," Gibbs eventually said, voice dripping venom. "Are going to have a little talk."

McGee didn't bother fighting as Gibbs lead him to the elevator. No one was inside when they stepped in, which McGee was both thankful for and horrified of. The doors closed and Gibbs immediately hit the switch to freeze the cabin. He turned to stare at McGee, and McGee forced himself to look straight ahead at the door. "McGee," Gibbs growled. "Now's not the time to be stubborn."

And suddenly McGee couldn't stop thinking about being shoved into that stupid room, being manhandled up the stairs towards it, and the horror as he realized what was going on, all at once, replaying in order and jumping around simultaneously. His breathing picked up and he could feel the beginnings of a panic attack coming on. He took a step back when Gibbs reached toward him, pinning himself against the wall. The wall was safe. No way out, but no unwanted surprises. He could see any attack as it was coming. Well, if he could stop this flashback and force himself to open his eyes, that is. He nearly leapt out of his skin as Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder lightly. It felt like someone had shocked him with an electric current.

"Hey, Tim? Can you take a deep breath? Try, for me?"

McGee was trying to breathe, couldn't Gibbs _see_  that?! It wasn't helping matters that he knew the second he let himself be little, he was going back into that room for back-talking! He let his legs give way beneath him, sliding to the floor and curling in on himself. "Don't send me back," he begged. "I didn't mean it, don't send me back!"

"Send you back where, McGee?" Gibbs asked. "Norfolk?"

McGee shook his head rapidly, feeling himself get light-headed from hyperventilation. "Th-th-that r-room," he stammered out. "I-I-I can't go back to the room."

The floor creaked and McGee willed himself into the wall farther. Gibbs was either standing right in front of him or crouched the same distance, and that was the last place McGee wanted him. "I knew that was a bad idea the second they suggested it," Gibbs sighed. "Last chance I ever let Fornell and his cronies give me parenting advice in the form of, 'This worked when my two agents were about to snap each other's necks'."

McGee smiled into his legs despite himself. Of course, that's where Gibbs would have gotten the idea. He was always so clueless when it came to mutual punishments in fights. Probably because he had never done it with kids before. But he still couldn't let go and be little. Gibbs didn't say it had left, and he couldn't let himself be in trouble and little simultaneously until he knew he wasn't going to be locked in that room again.

"When you said you were telling people they didn't know you...you were referring to that, weren't you?"

McGee looked up from in between his legs, teetering dangerously towards being little. He nodded.

"Because I thought you would be okay and just wouldn't fight again, but I actually hurt you?"

"And Tony," McGee said. "Hurt him too. Maybe more than me."

Gibbs looked to the elevator doors and winced. "I take full responsibility for that, and I'm really sorry. There was an empty room in the house, and you two looked about ready to kill each other, and knee-jerk reactions kicked in. I figured you two would team up to pick the lock or climb out the window. I didn't think..."

"No, you didn't," McGee said, resentment filling his voice.

"I'm really, truly sorry, McGee. You know that when I say that I mean it."

"I know," McGee said, still curled up. "Doesn't mean I'm not mad. Or forgive you."

Gibbs turned and sighed. "Will you at least stand up, please? I need to find DiNozzo and apologize to him, too, and I don't want to do that while people are staring at you in a fetal position in the elevator."

McGee couldn't help but laugh at the image of Gibbs walking out of the elevator, while concerned agents watched him as he stayed curled up in his little ball. He unwound himself and stood shakily, accepting Gibbs' hand for help with a small amount of trepidation. But Gibbs let go as soon as McGee was standing.

Gibbs turned the elevator on and the door opened immediately, DiNozzo falling into the empty space. McGee smirked and turned away so the other man wouldn't see, but DiNozzo glared at him anyway. "What were you _thinking_ , Probie?!" DiNozzo hissed.

McGee shrugged. "Wanted you out of the line of fire. Gibbs wants to speak to you."

"Both of you," Gibbs said as the elevator doors closed again. "The Quiet Room won't ever be used again. If you two want, we could turn it into a playroom, or fill it with something else so it can't even be an option."

DiNozzo and McGee looked at each other and turned to Gibbs, nodding. Gibbs smiled softly. "I'm sorry I hurt you both, and I'll do my best to make sure it never happens again."

"I doubt it won't, but A for effort," DiNozzo joked.

Gibbs smacked him upside the head and McGee chuckled. Things were looking up, just a little bit.


End file.
